Dog Don't Hunt? Can He Run?

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - It's a sight to see...a couple hundred runners pumping with their dogs on leashes, happy with mouths open and tongues flapping in the wind. It's the Great Rover Road Run this Sunday, now in its 22nd year. The LSU School of Veterinary Medicine uses this event as a fundraiser for the Student Chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association, providing scholarships for vet students.

There is a dog-less race for serious runners. No need to trip over a neighboring runner's "Fideaux." Sunday March 15th, the 5-K race begins at 8 a.m. Then once the thunder of bi-pedal runners clears the area in front of the Vet School on Skip Bertman Drive, the 1-mile Fun Run including everyone else begins around 9:15 a.m...as soon as they can put together the flight of runners with dogs.

The registration fee on race day is $25 each for the 5K run and the one-mile run, or $35 for both races. If you pre-register, you can pick up your pre-race packet in the lobby of the School of Veterinary Medicine on Friday, March 13 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Please note that you must have your dog on a six-foot leash, and not one is retractable. Too much of a variable in the crowd. Do not bring a female dog in heat because it could cause chaos for obvious reasons. And the Vet School insists your dog be legal, "Dog participants must have proof of current vaccination and may be excluded if they are aggressive."

5-K runners, don't attempt to bring your canine, no dogs will be allowed on the 5K course.